1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to orthopedic devices for positioning human digits for examination purpose. More particularly, the present invention pertains to orthopedic devices for positioning an injured digit to facilitate the taking of X-rays.
2. Prior Art
A wide variety of orthopedic devices for positioning various body parts are commercially available. Most of these devices are used for positioning a body part after examination reveals an injury, such as a bone fracture, etc. When a bone is injured, a standard medical practice is to obtain X-rays of the injured area to determine if the bone is fractured. So, if a digit, such as a finger, is injured, the standard medical practice is to X-ray the finger.
When taking X-rays, it is highly desirable or obtain unobstructed multiple views of the injured area. To obtain unobstructed X-ray views of an injured finger, the injured finger must be spaced from the other fingers and held relatively motionless. Traditionally, this is accomplished by anchoring the injured finger and the adjacent fingers with, for example, first aid tape. While this approach is effective in positioning the injured finger away from the adjacent fingers, if often causes discomfort to the patient.
Therefore, it is an object of the invention to provide a device for positioning an injured finger in spaced relation from the adjacent fingers to obtain unobstructed X-ray views of the injured finger without causing unnecessary discomfort to the patient.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an orthopedic device capable of securing and displacing an injured digit vertically and horizontally relative to the adjacent digits to facilitate the taking of X-rays.